Age this deer

[T-Max]

Water hole pic does it for me. Face looks like some age there. Great deer! Heavy. Good.

 

[Mortenson]

I like him a lot. Good trophy buck!

 

[Brian662]

He's incredibly vulnerable right now to any wind except east. Tomorrow is opening day and the winds are easterly for a few days. It's a long season and I need to be patient but I've never had a shooter buck on an early season pattern like this, it's incredibly tempting.

 

[Mortenson]

Try this one. Not the best pics but it's all I have to work with so far.

 

[Brian662]

Tough angles. Looks like a solid hind end on that second photo but just too hard to even guess without something broadside.

 

[TenPoint]

Any guesses? I don’t have any history as far as I can tell.

 

[T-Max]

Mature. That's a big deer!

 

[TenPoint]

With that straight back I’m inclined to say 3.5.

 

[Mortenson]

In that last pic I don't call that a straight back at all. Or the first pic. I'd say 5.5

Great buck.

 

[Mortenson]

Great lookin orchard too.

 

[Brian662]

Shooter
4.5 or 5.5 IMO

 

[TenPoint]

Great lookin orchard too.

Very young still. Has a few crabs this year. Can’t wait for a few more years on it.

 

[TenPoint]

This guy was out tonight. I can’t quite tell if it’s the same deer. If it isn’t it’s a twin.

Night pic is copy from above.

 

[Mortenson]

TenPoint how would you compare his build to the deer in my prior post? He's a confirmed 6.5 year old buck. Very light build his whole life. I think he might dress 150. He's obviously unkillable thus far. Never once laid eyes on him. Have pics summer thru winter for many years, and 4 years of his sheds. As far as I know, he's the smartest buck since I've been using cams the past 12 yrs.

 

[TenPoint]

TenPoint how would you compare his build to the deer in my prior post? He's a confirmed 6.5 year old buck. Very light build his whole life. I think he might dress 150. He's obviously unkillable thus far. Never once laid eyes on him. Have pics summer thru winter for many years, and 4 years of his sheds. As far as I know, he's the smartest buck since I've been using cams the past 12 yrs.

View attachment 68464

What state are you in?

We are still fairly new to this area of Wisconsin (5years) so I’m still trying to get a handle on the age and how fast they grow here. We hunted only 30 miles away for the past 30 years but the deer are remarkably different in genetics and antler size in our new area.

I don’t have history with the one in question. I do have a years worth with the wide one in the back of the one pic. I had him at 40 yards last year with the bow. The neighbor found his sheds last year. I’d say he’s 4.5 but he doesn’t have the biggest body. I’ve had some absolute toads, body-wise, on camera in the past. But antlers were nothing special. I saw two absolute studs last weekend about 1.25 miles away. Easy 150-160” deer. They make this one look small. I think this one is 125-130”. He seems very similar to the two 127’s I’ve shot the last few years.

 

[willy]

Bill Winke recently put out a podcast on using trail cams to age deer. Very honest assessment.

 

[TenPoint]

Bill Winke recently put out a podcast on using trail cams to age deer. Very honest assessment.

Cliffs? I don’t do podcasts.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Cliffs? I don’t do podcasts.

It's a video on YouTube as well. It isn't very long and incredibly informative. Search Bill Winke and it is only a few days old.

 

[willy]

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'd say TenPoint's buck is 4.5 or 5.5 - shooter anywhere I hunt.